Type-writing machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

E. FITCH.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 366,577. Patented'July 12, 1887.

N PETERS, Phnw-Lnhu n her, W-uhington. D. (1

' 4 Sheets-Sheet 2;

(No Model.)

B. FITCH.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

n. PETERS. Pholo-Lfllnognpher. Wahingmm u. a

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 (No Model.)

B. FITCH.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented July 12, 1887.

m'i/wsws N. PETERS. Pholn-Litbngnpher, wnhin mn. DIG

4 Shets-Sheet- 4.

(No Model.)

B. PITCH.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

N0. 366,577, Patented July 12, 1887.

Fig? 72 Fries.

ATEN

EUGENE FITCH, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,577, dated July 12, 1887. Application filed September 30, 1896. Serial No. 214.927. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE FITCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, Polk county, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typewriting ma chines, and is auxiliary to the invention described and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 345,836, grantedto me on July 20, 1886.

My present invention embraces improve ments in the spacing and feeding mechanism, consisting of a fine-toothed rack pivoted to the paper-carriage, which is actuated by a spring, a fixed tooth engaging in the rack when the rack is depressed, and a pivoted toothwhose relative initial position to the fixed toothis determined by a eam s lide connected to the type-carryingframe, and which tooth engages in the rack when it is in normal position, whereby the carriage is moved varying distances when different letters are printed, and the wordspaeing also may be varied as desired; controlling-levers arranged to act on the typecarrying frame, by the manipulation of which the lower-case letters and characters and numeral types are set so as to impress the paper above the line of printing, thus allowing them to be used as indiees to letters and figures impressed on the line, and the numerals may also be set to print below the lines, as in writing fractions; improvements in the inking device, which is located in the path of the type as they descend toward the paper, consisting of a small shaft with a square projecting end, upon which the inking-rollcr frame is placed, and a spring acting on the shaft for retaining the inleroller in the path of the type and away from the type after inking them; type-blocks provided with two sets of types, either of. which are brought into active position by simplyturning the typeblocks half-way round on the type-carrying arms, and other minor improvements in con struction, all of which will now be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a plan view of my improved type-writing machine, partly in section. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a central section.

Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a section on the line 0c at, Fig. 1. Fig. 4, Sheet 3, is a section on the line y y, Fig. 1, looking toward the type-eontrolling levers. Figs. 5, 6, and 7, Sheet 3, are respectively a front view, a side View looking toward the right, and a plan view of the feeding and spacing mechanism on an enlarged scale, with the frames, &c., partly in section. Figs. 8 and 9, Sheet 3, are front and plan views of the inking mechanism. Figs. 10 and 11, Sheet 1, are enlarged sectional and plan views of one of the connections between the ends of the key-bars and the conneeting'links. Fig. 12, Sheet 4t, is a front elevation of the type-arms and their directingguides. Fig. 13, Sheet 4, is a plan view of the same with the typearms broken away; and Fig. 14, Sheet 4, is an enlarged sectional view of one of the type-bloeks, showing the manner in which it is secured to the type-arms.

The general construction and operation of this machine are similar to that described in mybeforementioned Letters Patent. All of the key-bars a a, carrying the finger-pieces a a, are pivoted on the shaft 1), held in the main frame 0, which in this case is extended around the key-bars and provided with slots 0 c, in which the front ends of the key-bars work, whereby they are more rigidly held when the finger-pieces a a are manipulated. The shaft (1, held in the frame j, pivoted at j to the frame a, carries the parts (2 e of the hinge-joints of the type-arms, the other parts, 0 0, having the type-blocks secured on the ends of the wire arms 0' c projecting therefrom, by means of fine screw-threads, thus permitting of close and fine adjustment of the type, so as to cause them to impress the paper uniformly in straight lines.

The type-blocks have on one side of them three sets of letters or characters, i '6 6 as before, and are further provided in this case on their opposite sides with three sets of letters or characters, '13" 2' i, made in a different style of type from the first set, if desired. To bring the type 13 t' i into active position, it is only necessary to turn the type-blocks halfway round on the wire arms a" c, the screwthreads thereon fitting sufficiently tight in the typeblocks to hold them firmly in position when once set.

The stop f, provided with the guide-slots f f, in which the type-arms are held, is secured to the upper arms, j j, of the pivoted frame j, so that said stop-bar md'ves with the frame and type-arms when they are adjusted to print from the different sets of type, and no movement of the type-arms on the stop-bar occurs a when the changes. are being made, as in the original machine, where this stop-bar is secured to the fixed standards a c In front of the shaft (1 is abar attached to or forming a part of the frame j, and provided with guide pins,or pieces j, between which the front endsof the parts a of the hinge-joints enter when the type are depressed, thereby forming, with the front guides, h h, a perfectguard-plate f may, if desired, be made in tegral with the frame j.

The key-bars a are made of wood, and-their rear ends are connected to the lower ends of the links 9 by means of a simple and effective device, consisting of a piece of sheet metal, 9 bent around and riveted to the end of the bar, and having a lip, 9 which sets into a slot formed in the edge of the link 9. This slot is slightly tapering, to allow for the rocking motion between the bar and link. After the slotted edge of the link is placed over the lip g onthe piece 9, a strip of the metal projecting from the upper end of the piece 9 is bent around the link 9, as shown at Figs. 10 and 11, thus holding the parts permanently together, with sufficient play between them to allow for any angular positions they may assume in relation to one another.

The directing-guides h h form parts of the standards a c',and cause the type-arms to move laterally toward the center of the machine.

The inking-roller m,whieh islocated in the path of the type in front of the directing-guides h h, is held in'the light metal frame m, through the sides of which, at the rear of the roller, are formed square holes adapted to fit on the squared projecting end of the small shaft n, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 8, and 9. This shaft n is held in the frame a, secured to one i of the directingguides h, and has bearing against it the spring a, to hold it in the two positions in which it may be placed, the one by a descending type knocking the ink-roller down out of its path after taking ink therefrom, and the other by the type-arm as it ascends moving the ink-roller up into active position by coming in contact with the wire arm m, which projects from the shaft n. To insure that the shaft a shall be firmly held' in these two positions, I propose to make two fiat surfaces thereon for the spring a to act against; I

From the ink-roller-frame m extends the guard-piece m under the roller m,its object being to prevent the paper from coming in contact with the roller when it is placed in or removed from the machine; and the frame m has an extension, on", to act as a handle, by which it may be slipped off from the shaft n to be supplied with fresh ink, which ink in this improved machine is contained in the boxes or reservoirs a n secured to the frame 0, so as to be always readily accessible.

Differentcolored inks maybe placed in these boxes a n, and, if desirable, two or more separate ink-rollers used, but little time being required to change them, as they merely slip .on the square end of the shaft at, their fit thereon and the inclined positions of the shaft, as shown at Fig. 2, being depended upon to maintain them in working position. In my before-mentioned Letters Patent the method of printing the lower and upper case letters and the figures, &c., from one set of keys is fully described. The same plan is here adopted, but the principle of operation is further carried out. In this machine the pivoted frame j is held by the spring against the stopscrew 70 when thefirst set of type, t,which are the lower-case letters, arebeing printed from.

The arm jextends from the lower part of the frame j along one side of the frame a, and has located under its free end the rear ends of the three .levers Z Z l, which act on different parts of thearm j. These levers Z Z Z have fulcrum-bearings on the stud Z, and are provided with finger-pieces in line with the printing fingempieees a on their forward ends.

When depressed, these levers Z Z Z? come against the screw-stops Z Z Z, respect;

ively, and these screwsare so adjusted as to cause the levers, when in contact therewith, to impart different positions to the frame 9' and the type-blocks carried by it. The first lever, I, when depressed, sets theztype-blocks so as to cause the middle set of type, t",which are the upper case or capitals, to impress the paper when the. printing-keys are operated. The second lever, l, throws the frame j farther back andbrings the outer set of type, i, which are the numeral and character type,

into active operating position.- The third lever, 1 moves the frame j and type, so that the numeral and character type are caused to make their impressions somewhat above the line of printing, thus allowing. indices to letters or figures, as 'w or 8", to be printed without moving the paper, as is now done on type-writing machines in producing this kind ofwork. This movement also admits of certain combinations of the character type being made'-as, for instance, the single-dash type may be used to produce the equal sign by first printing the dash in the ordinary way with the'lever Z depressed, and then repeating the impression with the lever Z held down-thus, or

bar signs, 860. During the operation of printing one character over or above another the- 3 the plus sign may be produced by the combination of the horizontal dash and vertical paper is prevented from being fed forward by holding down the feedlever after the first impression has been taken.

The production of fraction signs and mathematical formulre corresponding to ordinary letter-press printing is also provided for in this machine, by causing the denominators to be printed somewhat below the line-thus, which is done by moving the springstop Z, pivoted to the inner side of the frame 0, under the finger-piece of the lever Z, and then dopressing this key until its finger-piece comes in contact with the stop. The dash is then printed over the denominator with the lever l fully depressed-thus, and the numerator printed over the dash in the same manner as the indices are produced-thus, The extension of this principle of printing fractions, their combinations with whole numbers, and the mathematical signs will readily occur to the operator and be as easily performed as ordinary work. Another advantage from being able to use some of the characters for the production of two or more signs is that with a limited number of keysand type a large number of characters, &c., can be produced greatly in excess of what can be done by any other machines having the same number of keys.

It is sometimes advantageous when printing capital letters to lock the frame j, leaving both hands of the operator free for manipulating the keys. This I accomplish by means of the small lever Z, pivoted to the frame a alongside of the lover I, and provided with a cam-stud, l, arranged to bear on the top of the lever Z, and to fully depress and hold it in this position when the lever Z' is raised up into the position shown at Fig. 4. The lever Z and frame j are released by simply throwing the lever Z down. This lever Z is further utilized to move the framej a short distance to cause the lower-case letters to print above theliue, as in printing the prefix M", &c., and also to enable them to be used as indiecs, if desired. This is done by depressing the front end of the lever Z when in the position shown at Figs. 1 and 2, the pin F then bearing on the top of the lever Z. The set-screw Z determines the amount of motion. It will thus be seen that by the addition of simple inexpensive devices I am enabled by this machine to produce all kinds of printing without in any way detracting from the usefulness of or complicating the machine for ordinary common printing or writing.

As in my before mentioned patent, the paper is carried on a laterally-sliding carriage, p, and controlled by the large impressionroller 0 and'small springacting rollers 0, it being-placed in the paper-holderr, with its top edge started between the rollers 0 and o, and passing into the receiver q as it is fed forward by the rollers 0 and 0. This carriage p is moved across the machine from the right to the left hand side by means of a coil-spring, p, placed in the drum and the cord p, one

end of which is secured to the drum p and the other end to a stud projecting from the main frame 0, and the movement of the carriage is controlled and allowed to take place through variable distances when different letters are printed and for wordspacing by means of the following mechanism:

Beneath the key-bars a a is placed the spacing-bar 8, having hearings on the ends of the shaft 1), and upheld by the spring 8. The spacing-key s" has its bearing on the shaft I), and acts on the top of the bar 8 when it is pushed down by either of the finger-pieces secured to its front end. It is upheld by the spring 8.

To the central part of the bar sis connected, by means of the link s, an arm projecting from the shaft 1 and this shaft t, by means of the forked arm t, carries the lever if, one end, 15*, of which is forked and embraces the edge of the main frame 0, constituting the fulcrum of this lever. The other end of this lever 1 which end is located at the center of the machine, supports and controls the toothed edge of the rack-p1ate a, which is pivoted at u to the carriage p. The under side of the rackplate rests on the upwardly-projeettng part of the end of the lever If, and the small roller t rests on the top of the rack-plate, and is carried by a small slide fitted in the lever and held down by the spring The object of making this roller '6 vertically yielding will be hereinafter explained.

\Vhen the rack-plate n is in normal position, as shown at Figs. 1, 2, and 8, it is held by the tooth 1r, projecting from the side of an arm on the shaft a, which is provided with a spring constructed to turn it toward the right. The shaft, when the tooth a engages with a tooth of the rack a, is, by the action of the spring p on the carriage 1), turned toward the left, the arm then resting against the adjustable screwstop '11., which passes through'the piece 7), seon red to the cross-bar c of the main frame.

A stationary tooth, 2;, projects from the piece 1) in a plane below the toothed edge of the rack-plate n, and the screw a is so set that the tooth a holds the rack in position with the teeth '0 immediately below a space between the rack-teeth, as shown at Fig. 1, and when the raek'plate n is moved down, either by the manipulation of any of the type-keys or of the spacing-k ey, the fixed tooth '0 enters this space and holds the carriage stationary while an impression is being taken, as shown at Figs. 5, o, and 7. In moving down, the rack slips off the tooth a after it has passed over the tooth o, and the tooth a is, by the spring acting on its shaft 16, moved back to and held against the eontrollingplate w, which is laterally adjust able on the slide 10, so that the tooth n is directly over a space of the rack-plate u. As the manipulated key is released the rack-plate it moves away from the fixed tooth v and onto the tooth a and as soon as the rack is clear of the fixed tooth the spring p causes the carriage to move, the rack-plate a carrying the ment of the tooth a".

tooth to with it, until the stop-screw a is encountered, which then holds the carriage normally at rest, as before.

The number of teeth of the rack the carriage is allowed to move forward each time a key is operated is determined by the distance the tooth a is moved back by the spring on its shaft, and this is controlled by the position of the type-carrying frame j, which is connected to the slide w by the link to, so that as the frame j is moved by the controlling-lever Z, l, or Z the part of the plate w against which the arm of the tooth a bears is moved in relation thereto, and by means of notches therein the tooth is caused to assume different positions, so as to take up different numbers of teeth of the rack u. As shown in the drawings,'a feed of two teeth takes place when the framej isin position toprint from thelower-case letters and from the character type, and a feed of three teeth when the capital letters are used, the frame j then holding the slide w so that the notch 10 in theplate w is located in line with the arm of the tooth u allowing the tooth to fall back sufficiently to engage with one more tooth of the rack to than it does when the other parts of the plate 10 control the move- This plate wmay be made to hold the tooth a in a different position for each position assumed by the frame j, if desired, so as to vary the spacing to a greater extent than here shown; but I have found that for practical purposes it is sufficient to produce good work to have an increase of feed for the capital letters only.

The object of extending the lever t back, so as to obtain a fulcrum at its end t on the side of the frame 0, is to cause its working end, which is at the center of the machine and controls the rack-plate u, to move in as nearly a vertical path as possible.

To the rack-plate a is attacheda handle, 10 in close proximity to the hand-piece p on the carriage, the function of said handle a being to raise the rack-teeth clear of the-tooth a the spring t allowing the roller t* to move up with the rack-plate. This spring t is sufficiently strong to hold and control the rack-plate during the ordinary work of the machine. When the rack-plate is so raised, the carriage is free to be moved by hand to any position and the paper carried by the roller adjusted to a nicety to receive an impression at any part of the line of printing. To facilitate this adjustment of the paper, a. small pointer or index, 71., is attached to the lower part of the directingguides h, and extends over the paper in close proximity to the place of impression.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a type-writing machine, type-blocks secured on the ends of wire arms by means of fine screw-threads, and having series of type formed on opposite faces thereof, either of which may be brought into active position by' turning the blocks on .the wire arms, substantially as set forth.

2. .In a type-writing machine, the pivoted frame j, the hinged type-carriers e 0 6 having bearings on the shaft d, held in the frame j, and the stop-barf, provided with the slots f f and attached to the frame j, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a type-writing machine, in combina tion, the pivoted frame j, the shaft (1, the typecarriers 6 c e, the stop-bar f, the guide-pins j on a bar located in front of the shaft d, and secured to or forming .part of the frame j, and the fixed directing-guides h h, substantially as and'for the purpose set forth.

4. In a type-writing machine, in combination, the pivoted frame j, shaft d, the typecarriers 0 6' e type-blocks on the ends of the parts 0, the upwardly-projecting arms j of the frame 9', and the guard-platef, extending from the arms jj around the ends of the typeblocks when they are in normal position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination, with a key-bar, d, and link 9, of a connecting device consisting of a piece of sheet metal, g bent around and secured to the end of the bar a, having a lip, 9 arranged to set into a slot formed in the side of thelink g, and

a projecting strip which is bent around the link to hold the lip g in the slot of the link, substantially as set forth. 7 1 6. In a type-writing machine, the combination,with the shaft n, having'a square proj ecting end, and the spring n arranged to bear against the shaft to hold it in any position in which it may be placed, of the ink-roller m and its frame m, provided with square holes adapted to fit on the squared end of the shaft n,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a type-writing machine, the combination, with a pivoted frame and type-arms carried thereby, of aspring bearing on the frame, a stop against which the frame is held by the spring when in normal position, and levers arranged to act independently on an arm projecting from the frame, and provided with finger-pieces, by the manipulation of which the frame and the type on the ends of the typearms are set in different positions, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a type-writing machine, in combination, the frame j j, the spring k, the stop k, the levers Z Z P, and the adjustable stops 1 Z Z, substantially as and for-the purpose set forth.

9. In a type-writing machine, in combination, the framej j, the spring 70, the stop k, the lever Z, the adjustable stop Z, and the lever l pivoted to the frame in close proximity to the lever Z, having a cam-stud, Z", arranged to bear on the lever Z to fully depress it when the ,lever Z is raised, and a pin, 1 arranged to bear on and partly depress the lever Z when the front end of the lever Z is depressed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a type-writing machine, in combination, the frame j j, the spring 7:, the stop k, the lever Z, and the spring-stop Z by which the number and character type are caused to print below the line, substantially as and for the purpose set forth- 11. In a type-writing machine, in combina' tion, the frame j j, spring 7:, stop 7t, and lever 2 by which .the number and character type are caused to print above the line, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. In a type-writing machine, in combination, a laterallymoving spring-actuated carriage, a finetoothed rack pivoted thereto, a fixed tooth with which the rack engages when in one position, a spring-actuated tooth with which the rack engages when in another position, a stop in contact with which the springactuated tooth is brought by the forward movement of the rack and carriage, a stop against which this tooth rests when released by the rack, and a spacingbar actuated by the opcrating-keys, connected, substantially as described, to the pivoted rack, to move it down from the spring-actuated tooth onto the fixed tooth when any of the keys are depressed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In a type-writing machine, in combination, a pivoted frame carrying type-arms having two or more sets of type on their ends, levers for setting the frame in different positions, a laterally-moving spring-actuated carriage, a fine-toothed rack pivoted thereto, a fixed tooth with which the rack engages when in one position, a spring-actuated tooth with which the rack engages when in another position, and a variable stop controlled by the pivoted type-frame, against which the springaetuated tooth rests, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

1-1. In a type-writing machine, in combination, the spring-actuated carriage p, toothed rack u, the springactuated tooth c fixed tooth o, the controlling-plate w, slide w, link 20, and type-carrying frame j, substantially as and for the purpose sct forth.

15. In a type-writing machine, in combination, the carriage p, toothed rack u ,the spring actuated tooth a", fixed tooth e, the lever 2?, provided with the yielding roller t", the shaft t, the link 8, the spacing-bar s, and the handle 10" on the rack-bar a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

16. In a type-writing machine, in-eombina tion, the spring-actuated carriage p, toothed rack u, the spring-actuated tooth 16*, the fixed tooth e, the controlling-plate w, slide w, link 10, the type-carrying frame j, and the levers Z Z Z substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at New York, county and State of New York,- this 28th day of September, 1886.

' EUGENE FITCH.

In presence oi ALFRED SIIEDLOOK, H. D. WILLIAMS. 

